What better first blog post than to explain how I got my first software engineering job! The journey to getting my first job was path-ridden with a lot of failures and learnings, but it was all worth it. In this blog post I hope to shed some light on how aspiring software engineers can join the industry, and also share my personal story so that my followers can know me at a more personal level.
My first full-time software engineering role was at a company called Infoblox, a cybersecurity company that focuses on securing company’s networks. This company has a headquarters location in Tacoma, WA, which is where I went to university for my Computer Science degree. In this role I developed internal tools for other teams of data scientists and threat analysts. The stack mainly consisted of Python, AWS services, and Vue JS for frontend tools. I got exposed to many great projects while working there, but the main ones include developing a software infrastructure to monitor the health of critical services, creating data processing services that refine the data and make it easier for other teams to ingest, and developing frontend applications for internal teams to interact with data easier.
I first joined Infoblox as a software developer intern after my junior year of college at Pacific Lutheran University. The path to getting this internship was a tough one. Before my interview for Infoblox, I had completed a few other interviews that failed and had submitted 44 applications for an internship that Summer. The vast majority of online applications were ghosted, with only 3 other companies giving me an initial interview. The way I got this job was in a more unusual route, which was through a referral. My close friend Nick Sundvall had interned at Infoblox the previous summer as a Threat Analyst, and I asked him if his team was hiring. He got me in contact with a recruiter and from there I was able to get an interview for an internship role.
Learning Point 1: Networking is CRUCIAL
This experience highlights the importance of having a strong network, because you never know what opportunities may arise. My university did not have strong connections to big tech companies, since it is a smaller private university that isn’t known for its computer science program. This meant that I had to work harder to get internships and full-time job opportunities. I spent many hours finding internship applications online, only to be ghosted. But the one time I utilized my network, I was able to get an in-person interview and land the internship that kickstarted my career.
For those who are in similar situations, take the time to build your network. Start doing this as early as possible, for those in university you should start doing this your freshman year. This can be done in many ways such as going to career fairs, going to tech meetups local in your area, and reaching out to people on LinkedIn. I started building out my LinkedIn account early in college, and built many connections. I would often reach out to these connections, asking for their insight on how to get into the industry, and occassionally I would have a meaningful conversation that helped me prepare for the future.
I would look up meetup events on meetup.com such as how to get into top tech companies. I remember going to a meetup held by an ex-Amazon software engineer on how to get into Amazon. He shared key points like how important the leadership principles are, and how to stand out during the interview process. This information would eventually lead me to landing a full-time role at AWS on the Fargate team after a couple of years at Infoblox.
The key point I’m trying to make here is: make genuine connections with people in your industry. Learn as much as you can about the companies you want to join, and show that you are willing to go the extra mile to learn and to be the best software engineer you can be. This hard work may not pay off right away, but eventually you will get an opportunity that you can take advantage of.
Learning Point 2: Take Full Advantage of Every Opportunity
My second key point to landing your first full-time job is to take advantage of every opportunity you get. After receiving the offer for my internship, I made sure to take advantage of the opportunity. I soaked up all the information provided to me by my team to learn our codebase, and made the extra effort to reach out to others to learn more. Asking questions is expected in software engineering, especially for newcomers, and most team members are more than willing to work with you. If you have a question about something, there is a strong chance that others on the team have the same question. Taking the initiative to start these conversations and showing your eagerness to learn will make you stand out.
On the job, get used to being uncomfortable. Learning new things and failing is inherently an uncomfortable thing to do, but this is necessary to grow as a software engineer. I am not a very social person by nature, but I understand that creating new connections and making the effort to start conversations is extremely beneficial for my career. Besides benefitting your career, this type of relationship with your coworkers will make your job more enjoyable. This was very uncomfortable for me, but I pushed myself to grow. So be the person that starts conversations, and don’t be afraid of looking stupid.
After working at Infoblox during the summer after my junior year, I went over my performance with my manager and he was very pleased. I received an opportunity to work part time throughout my senior year. To some people, this may seem like a lot to handle: finishing your senior year at college, completing big projects, and working a part time job? But once again I want to highlight, when you get an opportunity take advantage of it. So I ended up working for Infoblox part time throughout my senior year of college. Depending on the day I would either go to work early before my classes, or later in the evening after my classes completed. This was a lot to juggle, but the experience was well worth it and I’m very grateful for this opportunity.
After completing a summer internship and a full year of part time work at Infoblox, the summer was coming near. The possibility of landing a full-time job at Infoblox was 50/50, so I took the time to also apply to over 70 full-time positions. My luck varied in the interviews; some were progressing and the majority of my online applications resulted in myself being ghosted. Luckily, right before graduating I was offered a full-time position by Infoblox, which I took immediately.
After reading this, there is no doubt that luck played a role in my career. I had the right connection, and was able to get an internship that converted into a full-time role. But I believe luck is when preparation meets opportunity. If you are properly prepared for opportunities, you too can be lucky.